Greenpeace to Pay $660 Million in Damages to Texas Oil Firm

At a time when the world needs people to stand up against an obvious erosion of rights in this country, we must recognise the verdict against Greenpeace is designed to instil fear and discourage people from exercising their constitutional right to protest,

Jeanne Mirer, president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, said

What we saw over these three weeks was Energy Transfer’s blatant disregard for the voices of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe,

said Deepa Padmanabha, senior legal advisor, Greenpeace USA

Big Oil bullies around the world will continue to try to silence free speech and peaceful protest, but the fight against Energy Transfer’s meritless SLAPP lawsuit is not over,

the organisation said

This ruling attempts to silence those who stand against the destructive power of fossil fuel corporations. However, this struggle will not end, and we will not be intimidated,

he told The Independent

Energy Transfer is frivolously alleging defamation and seeking money damages, designed to shut down all voices supporting Standing Rock,

Standing Rock Sioux tribal chairperson Janet Alkire said

Mads Christensen (cyclist)danish road cyclist, born 1984

We are witnessing a disastrous return to the reckless behaviour that fuelled the climate crisis, deepened environmental racism, and put fossil fuel profits over public health and a liveable planet.”

Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace International, said

Offers such as this one are emblematic of the strategies often employed by extractive industries to secure compliance or mitigate opposition from affected communities,

the group wrote

This case was a deliberate orchestration by a pipeline company not only to silence dissent, but to carefully shape a corporate narrative that demonises the environmental justice and Indigenous rights movements,

she said

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will not be silenced,

she said

This outrageous verdict is nothing short of corporate tyranny masquerading as justice,

he said

The law that comes down in this case can affect any demonstration, religious or political. It’s far bigger than the environmental movement,

he said

These are the facts, not the fake news of the Greenpeace propaganda machine,

Trey Cox, the lead attorney representing Energy Transfer, said in a press conference outside the courthouse

It’s part of a renewed push by corporations to weaponize our courts to silence dissent. We should all be concerned about the future of the First Amendment, and lawsuits like this aimed at destroying our rights to peaceful protest and free speech,

Raman said

This verdict clearly conveys that when this right to peacefully protest is abused in a lawless and exploitative manner, such actions will be held accountable,

Cox said in a statement

We would like to thank the judge and the jury for the incredible amount of time and effort they dedicated to this trial,

the company said in a statement

The fight against Big Oil is not over today,

said Greenpeace International General Counsel Kristin Casper

Naomi Kleinjournalist

Fossil fuel companies should be forced to pay the public trillions in damages for the costs of planetary arson,

Klein added

Most jurors in the case have ties to the oil and gas industry and some openly admitted they could not be impartial, although the judge seated them anyway,

the committee said in a statement, following jury selection

While we are pleased that Greenpeace has been held accountable for their actions against us, this win is really for the people of Mandan and throughout North Dakota who had to live through the daily harassment and disruptions caused by the protesters who were funded and trained by Greenpeace,

the company added

This case should alarm everyone, no matter their political inclinations,

Greenpeace U.S. interim executive director Sushma Raman said in a statement published Wednesday